Obama’s Mob Mentality

Traditionally August represents the dog days of summer with family vacations, trips to the beach and little if anything happening in Washington as politicians go on recess until after Labor Day.

But so far August has been anything but the slow hazy days of summer for members of Congress who during the recess have been hosting Town Halls on president Obama’s health care plan.

At event after event concerned citizens have appeared in droves to voice their concerns, some very vocally about the plan and are asking how this is better than the current system and how much it will ultimately cost taxpayers.

For the congressional hosts this has been an unexpected and unwelcome response. After all they had no intention of wading into the proverbial lions den and thought that demand for a national health care system would actually be something their constituents wanted.

As the politicians have struggled to defend a bill that most of them haven’t read and have been photographed in some cases with their head in their hands the DNC and the White House are now trying to come to the rescue.

The DNC is running ads calling the Obamacare protestors an “angry mob” and trying to portray them as right-wing kooks or outlaws.

President Obama is so unhappy with this outpouring of negative sentiment that he has sent out an e-mail urging supporters to attend future Town Halls to counter the protests.

Both the DNC and the White House are complaining that the anger expressed at the Town Halls is not a result of any genuine outpouring from the public but has been orchestrated by conservative groups and lobbyists like former congressman Dick Armey who represent the pharmaceutical industry

Yet as the Obama e-mail clearly showed the White House was counter organizing in an effort to blunt the protests.

Maybe I am missing something but this seems hypocritical to me. Also what does this say for any type of protest like the Million Man March? Was that not organized and orchestrated by the left who arranged for transportation to ensure a large turnout?

By wading into the issue and criticizing those that aren’t buying into his plan of nationalized health care Obama has shed the last remnants of any appearance of bipartisanship that existed and has shown a lack of respect for the office of the president when he starts fighting with the very people he represents.

What the public is saying at these Town Halls and at the Tea Parties that have taken place throughout the year is reminiscent of Howard Beale in the movie Network when he said “I’m mad as hell and not going to take this anymore.”

The Democrats in Congress and the president should take note if they want to remain in power in 2010 and beyond.